The News Agents

Recently, the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, has seemed particularly exercised by one woman on Labour's front bench. Yes, Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary and one of Keir Starmer's closest allies, has become something of an obsession for the Leader of the Opposition. Interviews come and interviews go, yet somehow Badenoch always seems to find a way to bring Phillipson into the conversation...

Can Gianni Infantino survive his friendship with Donald Trump ? The presidents of both FIFA and the USA have been busy this week ensuring that USA could field top scorer Folarin Balogun in their Quarter-final match against Belgium. Trump’s incredible intervention into football has rocked the sport and left FIFA’s credibility in tatters - particularly after England defender Jarell Quansah’s own red...

The bad news isn't stopping for Reform and Nigel Farage. He's facing fresh questions about the timeline surrounding the £5m gift from a crypto billionaire. The police are investigating a separate donation made to Robert Jenrick (who has described the claims as a politically motivated smear). The party has urged volunteers to divert from the Greater Manchester mayoral contest - in an effort to shor...

Within hours of the Farage resignation statement all the main parties made it clear they would not be fighting his by-election and called the whole attempt a gimmick. Unity amongst the parties is a rare beast indeed - but they've all found their common enemy in a man who appears to resist transparency or accountability. What happens to the Clacton circus now? And more pressingly, what is the proce...

Nigel Farage says he's "never been angrier in his life". He's accusing the media of intimidating his family. He's claimed standards are being weaponised to go after him. And for that, he's asking the people of Clacton to stomach a by-election and re-elect him as their MP. Farage is framing it as a 'People vs The Establishment' contest - but is it more of a smokescreen to move the conversation away...

Jon has woken up in Mexico City with a fever dream about an epic England win and a football shirt covered in beer and tequila. Elsewhere the game doesn’t feel quite so beautiful - after it emerged that Trump's political meddling got a red card overturned for US player, Folarin Balogun. Why did the FIFA president cave to Trump's swagger and pressure? How has it left the players feeling as they head...

It feels different this time around. Donald Trump's second term is more ferocious, more feral, more imperial. There are two chroniclers of the Court of Trump who know this better than anyone. And they have just published 'Regime Change' - the authoritative account of the White House under Trump 2.0. Their access is remarkable. Inside accounts of the discussions, arguments, and fawning taking place...

After Harry Kane got them out of jail against DR Congo , Nedum believes this is the start of a glorious run for England at the FIFA World Cup . It’s Mexico next at the iconic Azteca stadium, altitude, pollution, and an army of noisy fans await. Nedum & Gabby discuss performing at altitude, Mexican welcoming committees and what makes this the “hardest game that can be played at this tournament”...

Nigel Farage has become the face of Direct Bullion. Not a surprise to those of you buying gold, perhaps, but it probably is to those who don’t. And it earned him £270,000 in the process. He’s also amassed a five-house property portfolio (three undeclared) and then there’s the small matter of the 5 million crypto donation. Again undeclared. How is this sitting with a man who voted against the Emplo...

Everyone understands the need to leave on a high - whether it’s Prime Ministerial legacy or a sense of completing the job. But the new defence investment plan that Starmer's signed off leaves Burnham with an unexploded bomb in the shape of a five billion pound debt. Does Burnham stick to the plan? Or does he rip it up? And how does he fill the hole if he goes along with it? We ask TUC secretary ge...

How do you interview someone who’s been gagged? That’s the task we set ourselves on today’s episode. Sarah Wynn-Williams - a former Facebook executive turned whistleblower author - is not allowed to talk about Facebook, or her book, Careless People. She’s not allowed to. She’s not even allowed to discuss the lawsuit that’s been slapped on her. Or how she’s finally responded with one of her own. Th...

Andy Burnham has made his first prime ministerial speech to the nation, even though he’s not yet PM. He spoke of the need for a "circuit break". Handing power back to people locally. Taking it away from Westminster. It was dynamic, bold and it was energising. But is Britain ready for electric shock therapy? And how does devolution not end up with badly run parts of the country becoming even worse...

On the week of Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister, Jon and Lewis host a special Q&A edition of The News Agents, answering the questions you have about the future of the country. How will Andy Burnham's cabinet take shape? What will his policies look like? And is he surrounded by "duplicitous" colleagues? The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/ Download...

After Scotland ’s humbling at the hands of Brazil , Mark has his say on FIFA’s “crap way to qualify for the knockout stages of a World Cup ”... Former USMNT , Spurs & Aston Villa Goalkeeper Brad Friedel joins Gabby & Mark to talk about the sporting miracle which is inspiring Mauricio Pochettino and his USA team’s belief that they can go all the way at their home world cup. And with qualifi...

Overnight, President Trump offered his first slither of a thought on the incoming prime minister Andy Burnham, calling him “extremely liberal" and a mayor of a "town” - which - arguably could have been much worse. Does Burnham need to put his relationship with Trump centre stage? Or just ignore him? Will Trump be as relevant to Burnham as he was to Starmer? Later, has the water closed over the Sta...

Kemi Badenoch looked like - not for the first time - she was going to make the Chancellor cry in the Commons today. She accused her of treachery and betrayal in her behaviour towards the PM. Badenoch then turned her sights on Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, and accused her of being a spiteful class warrior. Why was the Tory leader so vicious in her seeing off of Keir Starmer and his t...

You’re going to hear from a staunch Burnham ally today - a blunt speaking man at the heart of his last leadership campaign - and an MP who recently lost the whip from Keir Starmer. Can Karl Turner tell us what Andy Burnham thinks? And what he wants to do? And isn’t there hypocrisy in anointing another leader without going to the country first? The News Agents is a Global Production. The News Agent...

And just like that, Keir Starmer became the sixth British prime minister to resign in ten years - triggering a leadership contest it’s increasingly likely no one will enter. Wes Streeting has pulled out of the race. Andy Burnham is arriving at Parliament where he will be sworn in as MP. If there is no challenger, he could be PM in just over two weeks' time. Is this the most perfect heist in politi...

Overnight in Makerfield, Andy Burnham showed how to win more than fifty percent of the vote on the Labour ticket. It was political smack for his party. A reminder that they still have the electoral chemistry to win decisively in tight races where Reform has stormed in the past. Keir Starmer is pretending nothing big has happened - and said Reform were already on the wane. He is refusing to make wa...

Once you’ve listened to Trumps friends slag off his deal with Iran , you can’t help wondering what his critics will say. In one fell swoop, Trump has lifted sanctions on Iran, invited investment into the country to help the same old regime recover, agreed to a sixty day trial period on the reopened Strait of Hormuz, and "moved on" from his wish to help the Iranian people escape their tyrants. What...

England are used to a winning start in tournaments... but are we used to it being this... FUN? The 3 Lions beat Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener and Thomas Tuchel's 'entertainers' have seemingly already captured the nation. A now famous half-time team talk is said to have inspired the players. Is Tuchel's emotional and tactical management style what England need to get over the line? And on t...

Whatever happens in Makerfield in the next 24 hours, the outcome will be momentous. If Andy Burnham wins, we could see him challenge Keir Starmer for Prime Minister by the end of the week. If Burnham loses, then Labour are plunged into a whole new level of existential crisis. Either way, this will be one of the most significant by-elections in British electoral history - the stakes could hardly be...

10 years on from the murder of MP Jo Cox, there is a grim warning from her sister Kim Leadbeater: the atmosphere in politics now is "probably worse". Leadbeater warns of people trying to "sow division" in our country - and that's a division that Russia is seeking to exploit. One of the arsonists convicted of trying to firebomb Keir Starmer's house had also been tasked by Kremlin-linked actors with...

In what feels like one of the few genuinely radical decisions of his premiership, Keir Starmer has announced an almost complete ban on social media for the under 16s, starting next spring. Messaging apps will not be included, but YouTube (ie “television”) will. Does the ban make sense? Will it actually happen? And is Starmer now thinking about legacy projects at this febrile moment of his leadersh...

Armed Forces minister Al Carns and a couple of junior frontbenchers followed the Defence Secretary John Healey in resigning from government last night. Healey's accusation was a stinging one - that Keir Starmer is failing to commit to keeping the nation safe from attack. That, after Starmer pledged only a few months ago to put "petty politics" to one side and be bold on British defence. He now fac...